Long Island Chefs Unite to Fight Hunger With Eight-Night Fundraising Series

By Samantha Vogel | Long Island Daily News
September 15, 2026

ISLIP, NY — Some of Long Island’s chefs are coming together this fall for a cause that extends far beyond the dinner table.

Chefs Against Hunger will return for an eight-night dining series benefiting Long Island Cares — The Harry Chapin Regional Food Bank, with special dinners scheduled throughout October and into early November.

The events will be held at Tellers Next Door, 599 Main Street in Islip, where participating chefs will prepare multi-course dinners accompanied by wine pairings.

According to Long Island Cares, 100% of the proceeds will benefit the food bank and its work fighting hunger across Nassau and Suffolk counties.

The series begins Oct. 5 and continues on selected evenings through Nov. 3.

Participating culinary professionals include Eric LeVine of 317 Main Street, Francis J. Derby of The Halyard, Chris Perrotta of Blackbird Kitchen & Cocktails, Stephen Gallagher of The Trattoria Restaurant, Thomas Haferkamp of Tellers, Thomas Gloster of Trahanas Hospitality, Dayven Alonso of H2O Seafood & Sushi and Gregg Lauletta of Louie’s Prime Steak & Seafood.

Fighting Hunger Close to Home

Behind the upscale dinners is a serious problem affecting thousands of Long Island families.

Long Island Cares reports that approximately 313,800 Long Islanders are food insecure, including an estimated 71,500 children. The organization says it distributes more than 13 million pounds of food and supplies annually through a network of nearly 400 community partners. (Long Island Cares)

Food insecurity doesn’t always look the way people expect. It can affect working families, senior citizens, veterans and others who find themselves struggling to cover groceries while also paying for housing, utilities, transportation, medical expenses and other necessities.

That makes community fundraising efforts particularly important.

Chefs Against Hunger gives residents an opportunity to experience some of Long Island’s culinary talent while helping an organization that provides food and other resources to neighbors in need.

Eight Nights, One Mission

The dinner series is scheduled for:

Oct. 5, Oct. 6, Oct. 12, Oct. 19, Oct. 20, Oct. 26, Nov. 2 and Nov. 3.

Each evening will spotlight a participating chef, providing a different dining experience while maintaining the same goal: raising money to fight hunger on Long Island. (Long Island Cares)

Long Island Cares was founded in 1980 by singer-songwriter and humanitarian Harry Chapin. More than four decades later, the organization continues working throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties to provide food and resources while addressing the underlying causes of food insecurity. (Long Island Cares)

For a region often associated with expensive homes, restaurants and vacation destinations, the number of neighbors struggling to put enough food on the table can be easy to overlook.

Events such as Chefs Against Hunger put that reality back into focus — and demonstrate what can happen when Long Island businesses, chefs and residents come together to help their neighbors.

Long Island Daily News will continue highlighting organizations, volunteers and community events making a difference across Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Samantha Vogel
Editor, Long Island Daily News

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